English Through music: effective CLIL lessons for young learners.

English through music: effective CLIL lessons for young learners. Jane Willis, (ELT specialist). Anice Paterson, (music specialist). OUP, 2008.
How can you ensure these music activities fulfil conditions that are likely to promote language learning?

Transcript of "English Through music: effective CLIL lessons for young learners."

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OVERVIEW What potential does Content & Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) have for language development? Why is music particularly suited to CLIL? What kinds of musical activities are there? (with brief demonstrations of some of them) How can you ensure these music activities fulfil conditions that are likely to promote language learning?

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Content & Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) <ul><li>Learning a subject through English provides </li></ul><ul><li>young learners with: </li></ul><ul><li>exposure to spoken English </li></ul><ul><li>a clear purpose for listening to English and trying to understand </li></ul><ul><li>a context for using English </li></ul><ul><li>a reason for reading and writing </li></ul>

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Music through English? or English through music? Why music and English together?

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Singing <ul><li>is an excellent way for children to </li></ul><ul><li>learn and memorise words and phrases </li></ul><ul><li>develop familiarity with the sounds, rhythms and stress of English </li></ul>

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Songs, rhymes and rhythm activities <ul><li>help children to </li></ul><ul><li>learn to listen carefully – with a real purpose </li></ul><ul><li>respond to the ranges in tone, pitch, and expression in the voice </li></ul><ul><li>concentrate hard on small details of pronunciation, stress and rhythm </li></ul>

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Musical pictures and musical stories <ul><li>help children to </li></ul><ul><li>experiment and use the qualities of sounds effectively </li></ul><ul><li>express their feelings </li></ul><ul><li>recognise the structure of stories and poems and to sequence ideas </li></ul><ul><li>talk about what they are doing and why </li></ul><ul><li>tell and perform their own stories </li></ul>

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Rehearsing and giving musical performances <ul><li>provides children with a real purpose for developing and practising their English </li></ul><ul><li>helps children to develop self-confidence </li></ul><ul><li>- in using English in a range of contexts </li></ul><ul><li>- in performing with control and expressiveness </li></ul><ul><li>keeps children motivated and excited by their experience of making music </li></ul><ul><li>Also, NFER has evidence of beneficial effects on general behaviour and learning skills </li></ul>

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The giant story <ul><li>Recorded in a class of 9 year-olds who </li></ul><ul><li>have various sound-makers </li></ul><ul><li>listen to the story, bit by bit, and suggest sounds for each action </li></ul><ul><li>perform the whole story, with sounds </li></ul><ul><li>create variations </li></ul><ul><li>CD 55 </li></ul><ul><li>First of all, I want you to imagine that there’s a huge giant and he’s eating his dinner at his table. Can you make eating sounds? </li></ul><ul><li>And on the door there’s a tap tap tap tap… Can you repeat that rhythm for me? Keep it going – tap tap tap tap… </li></ul><ul><li>The giant stands up and slowly walks to the door </li></ul>

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So what are they learning? <ul><li>Musical skills </li></ul><ul><li>Experimenting with sounds </li></ul><ul><li>Creating sound patterns </li></ul><ul><li>Remembering a sequence </li></ul><ul><li>Performing a piece </li></ul><ul><li>Creating variations </li></ul><ul><li>Language development </li></ul><ul><li>Exposure to story text </li></ul><ul><li>& to teacher talk that engages attention </li></ul><ul><li>(imperatives, repetitions, </li></ul><ul><li>on-going commentary) </li></ul><ul><li>Opportunities for participatory use of language </li></ul>

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What kinds of music activities are there? <ul><li>These activities cover musical objectives that appear in any typical music syllabus. </li></ul><ul><li>A Warm-up activities </li></ul><ul><li>‘ Listen and Do’ – physical and vocal exercises to prepare children for music making and to develop their co-ordination, voice control, and pronunciation. </li></ul>

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E Listening and responding to music <ul><li>How long does it last? (instrument sounds) </li></ul><ul><li>I like it (different styles, images, moods, countries) CD 40 </li></ul><ul><li>Let’s dance </li></ul><ul><li>Children hear about where the music is from, think what it could be about, express how the music makes them feel... </li></ul>

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Activity Page <ul><li>LANGUAGE </li></ul><ul><li>MUSIC </li></ul><ul><li>RESOURCES AND PREPARATION </li></ul><ul><li>TIME GUIDE AGE </li></ul><ul><li>……………………………………… </li></ul><ul><li>Activity (numbered steps and suggestions for what to </li></ul><ul><li>say in English). </li></ul><ul><li>Variations (ideas for other similar musical activities) </li></ul><ul><li>Language extensions </li></ul>

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Language extensions <ul><li>Suggestions for building on the language used in the activity: </li></ul><ul><li>same music aims but new context or song </li></ul><ul><li>mini-dialogues for intonation work </li></ul><ul><li>games for vocabulary revision e.g. miming </li></ul><ul><li>tongue twisters </li></ul><ul><li>follow-up chats / discussions </li></ul><ul><li>mini-projects with cross-curricula links. </li></ul>

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Questions <ul><li>How does this fit my English syllabus? </li></ul><ul><li>Are the activities graded? </li></ul><ul><li>How to use the CD? </li></ul><ul><li>Musical expertise? Teacher support? </li></ul>

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What language learning opportunities do these CLIL lessons provide? <ul><li>Four main sources </li></ul><ul><li>1. general classroom management and instructions </li></ul><ul><li>2. the language used to introduce the topic, to set up the music activity itself, </li></ul><ul><li>to attain the music aims & lead to a musical performance </li></ul>

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What language learning opportunities do these CLIL lessons provide? <ul><li>3. the words and phonological features of the songs, rhymes, chants, stories, and mini-dialogues, </li></ul><ul><li>4. further development of specific language features and topic themes </li></ul>

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And finally… the three most important things… <ul><li>use the musical activity to generate opportunities to interact with the children in English </li></ul><ul><li>encourage children’s language and music development by being positive </li></ul><ul><li>make sure you all enjoy making music. </li></ul>